Apple’s Entry Into the Fitness Industry

It’s an exciting time for Apple; with their recent unveiling of two new iPhones, a brand new device (notably the Apple Watch), not to mention a new and innovative payment system known as Apple Pay which seems set to rival both PayPaland Google Wallet. As if this wasn’t enough Apple has also revealed their much anticipated Healthkit; a state of the art suite of programs which stores your personal health data.

By harnessing the innovative technology of portable monitoring devices it has never been easier to collect and analyze health related data like heart rate and blood pressure, as evidenced on the Amazon web site.

So what has Apple brought to the table that sets it apart from its competitors? Assimilation that’s what; up until now this type of data was stored in separate islands of containment. However Apple’s new health app has changed all of that by seamlessly aggregating an individual’s personal health data into a single composite snapshot of their overall health status.

Much of Apple’s success in achieving this can be attributed to the proprietary approach it uses in combining its software and hardware to produce a system which is more tightly coupled than say rival Android. Both systems have their pros and cons of course, for example Android due to its openness has the ability to run on a more diverse set of hardware devices in contrast to Apple’s software. However this comes at a cost since open systems tend to be less cohesive and more fragmented than their proprietary counterparts.

The closed approach on the other hand affords a greater degree of homogeneity allowing developers to create software which can adhere more easily to the standards imposed upon it, hence facilitating deeper integration. Before discussing how Apple’s new health app interfaces with third party apps, let’s first take a brief look at its core components. Healthkit is essentially a repository for four attributes of health related data, namely heart rate, weight, sleep and blood pressure respectively. A newly created app known simply as Health interfaces with the Healthkit data in order to monitor a person’s state of health.

In addition to the Health app Apple has also opened up Healthkit to third party organizations, for example the Mayo Clinic app is authorized to interface with the Healthkit data stored on your Apple device and determine if it falls within a certain set of safety parameters customized for the individual in question. Should the app detect anything untoward it is able to automatically alert the user’s primary health­care provider, thus enabling a more timely communication between doctor and patient.

In addition to the Mayo Clinic, app, Apple is also in partnership with other third party software products such as the Nike app which uses Healthkit data to help individuals in achieving their personal fitness goals. Apple has also named Epic Systems as a partner; this company provides medical software to hospitals and large medical institutions.

Doubtless there will be other partnerships down the road; who knows this exciting new age of opportunity could even bring arch rivals Apple and Google together, consider Google’s recently patented blood sugar monitoring technology which is integrated into a contact lens. The
potential of an Apple/Google partnership whereby Google’s blood sugar data is transferred to an Apple device would provide a welcome and valuable addition to the Healthkit for millions of diabetics.

Yet, as with any type of new cutting edge technology it is all too easy to allow ourselves to get consumed by the sheer excitement, as we consider the possibilities presented to us while failing to consider the drawbacks. However, as with any other app or computer program that stores and transfers personal data it is crucial that we concern ourselves with the issue of data security.

Due to the ultra­ sensitive nature of medical data it is paramount that people feel secure in surrendering this kind of data to the care and protection of an app such as Apple’s Health offering. Apple seems to understand this; the technology giant recently issued a stern warning to all of its third party developers about not sharing any of the data they receive from Healthkit, Unfortunately though; two days later it was revealed that Apple’s iCloud had been hacked, giving unauthorized access to another type of embarrassingly sensitive data.

Just as we expect Banks to keep our data safe we will impose these same expectations on hospitals and other medical institutions. If we are unable to place enough faith in these agents we will refrain from utilizing this type of technology altogether, and hence we will miss out on its advantages. It is therefore up to Apple and its competitors to bring us strong assurances that every measure possible will be taken to ensure that our personal data will be kept secure and confidential.

Despite these misgivings the health industry looks set to successfully enter into a new and exciting era of sensory technology; bringing with it the potential to store and convey timely and accurate personal health data to all the appropriate parties. Apple has set the bar high for its competitors, through its smart Apple Watch and Healthkit app it has opened up the door to endless possibilities while changing the direction of healthcare apps forever. Just how Google and the rest of the competition respond to this innovation remains to be seen.

About Dave Ward

Dave Ward majored in “Business and Computing” and “Computer Science” at the “University of Wolverhampton” in his native country the UK. Before graduating in 1992 he lived for a short time in Frankfurt, Germany, and Garmisch PartenKirchen afterwhich he returned to the UK. In 1995 he moved to the States where he currently resides in the Chicago area as a freelance “Systems Analyst /Software Developer”.
In addition to his work life Dave enjoys a passion for the art of writing, having taken several classes in the subject including his latest at Duke University NC. Hitherto he has produced a plethora of writings, from various genres including technology, poetry, fiction and cultural affairs. His longtime interest in the health and fitness industry and its concerns has also spawned several articles dedicated to this subject.
Currently he has several side projects in the pipeline; these include his latest poem, a book on morality, a stage adaptation of John Bunyan’s book “A Pilgrim’s Progress”, and a vegetarian cookbook. You can reach Dave at the following email address britguyinus@gmail.com.

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